Scientists, Magic and Robots
by SakuraMoriChan
Summary: Mad Scientist AU. Arthur Kirkland just wanted to live a normal life with as little social contact as possible. He didn't expect that to change when he met a not-very-mad scientist and an android. At first, he thought he would be able to continue with his normal life and forget about the two of them. Then they moved in with him.
1. Prologue, sort of

_It's odd how we don't even think about it. This strange source of power has been around for hundreds of years, and yet no one even bothers to question it. The only documents concerning it say it just 'appeared one day', and that humanity quickly learnt how to harness its energy._

_By this point, I'm sure you already know what I am talking about. We give it many names. 'The Source' or 'The Power' is what the more uninventive individuals would call it. A friend of mine would refer to it as 'The Original Energy', though I have reason to question his sanity. The term you are probably the most familiar with is 'Magi-Tech'._

_Though I was often sceptical when first using it, Magi-Tech is really quite amazing. It powers almost everything today. Transport, lights, machinery in general… We have all of this thanks to the Magi-Tech. It replenishes itself and, no matter how it is used, it does not damage the environment. I'm sure if we had found another source of power instead then our present would be very different. Some have even found a way to manufacture it into _clothes. _You would have had this your entire life, but clothes definitely did not have the same properties they do today. Clothes now stretch to fit their owner comfortably, and small tears in the fabric are even automatically repaired._

_However, as you know, Magi-Tech is also very, very dangerous. In the last hundred years or so, a large number of scientists have appeared, almost all intent on finding new ways to use Magi-Tech. There are two main categories: biological scientists and mechanical scientists. I'm sure I don't need to explain these terms. The only thing these scientists have in common is the fact they most likely both use Magi-Tech cells._

_Just in case you are not the one this letter was truly meant for, I will explain what I mean by 'Magi-Tech cells'. Magi-Tech, in its purest, almost half gaseous half liquid form is too dangerous to use without major protection. You would have to be insane or have a death wish to even try to touch it with your bare hands. _

_The only way for a scientist to make anything with Magi-Tech without being considered an idiot is to use Magi-Tech cells. The 'cells' are a sort of… container. They are oval shaped and small enough to hold many in your hand, and also glow with a blue light when powered. These cells can fit together to form a sort of wall and are used to power almost all machinery and gadgets._

_But the cells used in everyday appliances have to use a very diluted/powerful version of Magi-Tech. The cells scientists need, however, are much more… unstable. They have to be to get the best results. With these particular Magi-Tech cells, scientists can make almost anything they imagine, if they haven't already. After all, a group of biological scientist have already figured out a way to cure most serious injuries and some illnesses. It is only the complete cure for most mental illnesses that continues to elude them._

…_Mental illnesses. Ah, that is the main danger from working Magi-Tech cells. Or rather, brain damage. The cells stop any immediate damage, but the Magi-Tech still slowly leeks out. It is a well-known fact that any scientist who uses Magi-Tech for the majority of their life with eventually lose their mind. This is usually referred to as 'Magi-Tech sickness'. It will be subtle at first—forgetfulness, a slightly more eccentric personality being the most common signs—but eventually the symptoms of Magi-Tech sickness will grow so major that the sufferer's personality will be unrecognisable. Though it is true an older scientist who works with Magi-Tech cells will live longer and be possibly more active than someone who didn't, their mind will be too far gone for them to appreciate this._

_As a scientist myself, I too will one day fall to insanity. It's too late to stop it. I could live with the forgetfulness, the sudden clumsiness, but I have recently begun to hear voices that don't, no, can't exist, and see strange visions out of the corner of my eye. I have already started to lose my mind. It is only a matter of time before I start to forget who you are…_

_I am sorry. You are young now, and by the time you find this letter you will surely be an adult. You may even be a scientist yourself. However, I am certain you will have no memory of the man I once was. You will only remember your father as an insane man who will most likely neglect you. For that, I am truly regretful._

_For 'that', too. I don't know what I was thinking. You may live your life without even realising what it is, but as long as my mind is sane this will be the one act I regret the most. It was her idea. I wish I could blame agreeing with such an inhumane plan on the Magi-Tech sickness, but I had barely been affected by it when she first appeared. I am so sorry._

_You might be wondering who 'she' is. I have decided not to describe her, or explain our bizarre meeting. This is to protect you, you must understand. If you are lucky, you will never meet her…_

* * *

To put it simply, Arthur Kirkland was very annoyed. Though it wasn't the worst job in the world, having to drive for hours to find a very unspecific location definitely wasn't what he sighed up for. He blamed Francis. That stupid frog was usually the one who was stuck with these types of jobs, but Francis suddenly started begging for a week off work after _one _incident with a biological scientist and an angry shark. This meant Arthur had to deal with visiting the scientists.

His job was usually rather simple. He worked for the Scientist Centre, a large, worldwide organisation that basically employed all scientists. You needed a license to work with Magi-Tech cells, which you could only apply for if you were at least 18. Once you received this, the Scientist Centre would supply your funding. The more productive and useful scientists received the most money, obviously.

All licensed scientists received yearly visits from members of the Scientist Centre. This was to make sure they were sane enough to continue working with Magi-Tech, considering a scientist with a high level of Magi-Tech sickness would be a danger to themselves and the people around them. That was Arthur's job. Well, partly. Francis was usually the one who visited the scientists. Arthur just wrote and sent the reports.

That was how it worked at the Centre. Members were put in groups of two, one checking on the scientists and the other focusing on the actual reports. But with Francis out of work, Arthur had no choice but to carry out both jobs on his own.

It had been a long day. After going through 7 different scientists, Arthur was currently heading to the last one on his list. Due to his lack of car, Arthur ended up having to take the tunnel train. For those who didn't know, this was a series of underground trains that spanned across the whole country. Every nation was supposed to have some form of this. Most people were found of these trains as they were considered the fastest form of transport and, since they were entirely underground, they didn't clutter up the cities or the countryside.

Though there were no windows, Arthur knew the sun was already setting. He would have to work on those reports all night if he had any chance of finishing them by tomorrow. The fact this particular scientist's lab was located in the middle of nowhere did not help Arthur's mood. He had been on this train for two hours—_two hours!_—and he wasn't even there yet. His patience was wearing thin.

At least it was a mechanical scientist. Unhinged biological scientists were usually more dangerous, since they would consider almost every organic life form an experiment. Also, according to Arthur's notes this scientist had only been licensed for one year so far. If at all, he shouldn't be too affected by the Magi-Tech sickness. He would probably just ignore Arthur at his worst.

Arthur's phone beeped suddenly. He was nearing his destination. He would have to get off at the next stop.

The clean, tube shaped room looked packed, but that wouldn't worry anyone in this day and age. New trains arrived at the stops every two minutes. Plenty for everyone. And if it was a particularly busy day, some could always try to save room by staying in the beds at the back.

A red light lit up above the door, the only indication that the train was stopping. Arthur stood, holding a clipboard in one hand, and made his way forward. The door would only open once the train stopped completely.

Arthur glanced down at his clipboard. It held a few sheets he would have to fill out, including what level of Magi-Tech sickness the scientist was at. Magi-Tech sickness was usually ranked from 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the most affected. It was usually if a scientist hit level 8 and up that their license would be immediately revoked.

The red light turned green. With a quiet hissing sound, the door slid open. A set of well-lit stairs leading up was revealed, and Arthur quickly stepped out of the train.

Arthur was half way up the stairs when the door shut behind him. The train seemed to make a humming sound as it slowly started moving away.

Squinting slightly at the sunlight, Arthur emerged from the red rimmed hole at the top of the stairs. There was a similar, green rimmed hole just a little bit away. That was the entry point for the tunnel train, where you had to put in a ticket/money to get in, with the one Arthur stepped out of being the exit point.

The area Arthur was in now was quite empty. There were a few trees around and a large rocky outcrop. Over the horizon, Arthur could see what looked like a city.

As he was the only one to get off the train, Arthur was alone. He simply had a few birds as company. Why did the train even have the option to stop here? Unless you felt like camping, there wasn't anything interesting.

Well, that didn't matter. Arthur had to look for the laboratory. With the sun setting, he didn't have much time. He didn't feel too keen about searching for it in the dark.

And so, for the next few minutes, Arthur searched. Unfortunately for him, this lab wasn't exactly easy to find. He could feel himself growing more and more irritated by the second. The other scientists he visited had at least been thoughtful enough to stand outside and lead him there. This man was just being rude.

Stepping behind one of the outcrops by chance, Arthur stepped on something hollow and metallic. He looked down. What seemed like a huge metal circle with a crack down the middle was embedded in the ground, hidden from any casual glances.

This _had _to be the entrance. Arthur stared at the circle curiously. What was he supposed to do? Knock? It didn't look like there was a doorbell…

There was a rumble. Arthur suddenly found he had to jump away as the circle split apart and a large flight of stairs was shown.

Besides the initial surprise, Arthur didn't react. He had seen much stranger things before. He simply sighed as he made his way down the steps.

* * *

It had taken a while for Arthur to reach the bottom, mainly because of the lack of light. His only guide was a dim glow at the end, but besides that it was practically pitch black once the door above him closed.

Eventually, he managed to find his way to the smooth metal floor. The light wasn't exactly bright, but it was much better than the darkness up there. His footsteps echoed in the large space as he walked.

"Excuse me?" Arthur called, trying to keep his tone polite. "I'm from the Centre. I'm here for your evaluation."

Wires were poking out of the ceiling. One corner held a neat pile of random metal scraps and broken machines. As he continued through what looked like a large metal hallway, Arthur wondered where, exactly, the scientist was.

As if to answer this question, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Good evening. I'm sorry for the wait. Um… You said you were from the Centre?"

This wasn't the scientist. The man in front of Arthur looked like an ordinary Asian man, but there was something strange about him. His face looked almost… stiff. It was hard to tell with just a glance, but his skin looked almost artificial.

It was an android.

"Yes, that's right," Arthur said, trying to smile. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. I'm here to interview the professor."

The android bowed. "I am Kiku Honda. Alfre— um, the professor is working on something in the back, I think. Please follow me."

Arthur nodded. While Kiku started leading him further inside, Arthur couldn't help but wonder about the robot. Androids, biological or mechanical, were complicated to build. Some countries had even banned them due to cases of misuse of freewill and emotions. Arthur didn't know much about them, except for the fact mechanical androids were usually just called robots, and biological ones were often referred to as clones.

"This might sound a little, well, rude," Arthur started awkwardly, "but did the professor build you?"

"Oh no, I don't mind." Kiku shook his head. "No, he didn't build me. I believe he said he… found me."

_Found…? _Arthur would have asked more, but it was at that moment a loud crash sounded up ahead. Kiku stiffened, alarmed, before running on ahead suddenly.

"A-Alfred-san? Are you all right?" Kiku called urgently. Arthur followed. First they entered a much larger room, then turned right and reached a doorway.

A clatter sounded from inside.

"H-hey, um, Kiku?" a voice said. "I kind of need some help here."

Kiku had already gone inside, and Arthur slowly entered to see the android helping a man to his feet. This man was young, younger than Arthur, at least, and was wearing a messy lab coat. His blond hair was dishevelled and his glasses were close to falling off. Behind him was a large pile of small machines and gadgets.

He grinned at Kiku. "Thanks, Kiku. Sorry, I was trying to get something but then it all fell down on top of me…" He trailed off. The scientist had seen Arthur.

"You must be the professor," Arthur said matter-of-factly. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. I'm from the Centre."

"Oh, um, I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones." Alfred seemed a little disorientated from his fall. He no longer needed Kiku to help him stand, though. That was a good sign. "What's this about? Am I in trouble?"

"No, no. This is just an evaluation." Arthur frowned. "You should have received a letter a month in advance…"

"Oh!" Kiku's glass eyes widened. "You did get a letter from the Centre about a month ago, Alfred-san. I put it on your desk."

Alfred stared. "I have a desk?"

Arthur resisted the urge to groan. He wasn't in the mood for this. He had hoped they would be able to finish this quickly.

He looked down at his clipboard. Though he _seemed _confused and a little forgetful, this could have been justified by the accident Alfred just had. Also, Arthur had only known the scientist for a few seconds. It could have been part of his personality.

"Let's just get this over with," Arthur muttered.

* * *

_-Chapter end._

_Well, here I am, starting a new fanfic even though I have tones of unfinished ones… This one has just been going around my head for a while XD_

_Now then, the plot for this fanfic actually came from a dream 0-0 I dreamt Alfred was a mad scientist, who spent his time turning his dad's old doomsday machines into ice cream makers. And Arthur was a sort of probation officer or something, and Alfred was showing him all of the ice cream makers… There was also something about the moon. That was a weird dream XD But I liked the idea so much I wanted to write about it XD_

_There are no pairings in this fanfic, just the Stray Trio being friends :) That's my favourite Hetalia trio XD This does have a story line, but it'll probably just come across as some kind of comedy for the first few chapters XD As with most of my fanfics, there will be some confusing things going on with the plot X3_

_Well, I hope this first chapter was all right :) Please review and tell me what you think ^_^_


	2. Talking With a Not-So-Mad Scientist

With the professor being more than a little disorganised and Arthur a mere visitor, Kiku had to lead the two of them to a place to sit and talk. He walked ahead dutifully, his movements almost fluent enough to be considered human.

Arthur was next to Alfred, trying to keep his expression professional as he glanced around. He had seen quite a few laboratories before, but this was much bigger than he expected. Then again, considering the last scientist he visited had a 'lab' made of cardboard and pillows, his expectations were pretty low.

There was a sudden flash of light, and Arthur looked up after instinctively shielding his eyes. Some rather thick wires were jutting out of the ceiling with the jagged tips glowing dangerously. The light from these ends occasionally intensified to possibly blinding levels, sending down bright blue sparks that would vanish before they reached the floor.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "_Surely _that's a health hazard."

"Oh, um, yeah." Alfred looked as if he had just been caught stealing from the cookie jar. Most scientists who knew about the visit beforehand would try to get rid of anything incriminating. If Alfred really had no idea about it until now, then there was a small chance there would be a little more for Arthur to find. "I've been, er, meaning to fix that. It's fine as long as you don't touch it."

There was another flash from the high ceiling, and the trio continued onwards. On his clipboard was a section asking how well maintained the laboratory was; Arthur ticked the box that said, 'Needs work.'

Eventually, after many twists and turns and one instance with a laser firing burglar alarm, they reached a room that was much smaller compared to the rest of the lab. Inside was a big slab of metal—_probably a table_, Arthur thought—with quite a large pile of envelopes and memory sticks and CDs and one package on top. Alfred blinked at this, confused.

"This is supposed to be my office? How've I never been in here before, Kiku?"

"I'm sorry," Kiku said, looking a little troubled, "I thought you knew about this room… Though, that would explain why you never answered any of those letters." As if to lighten the uncomfortable mood, he added, "Would either of you like some coffee or tea?"

Alfred grinned with a 'yes' and Arthur shook his head. Kiku simply smiled and turned to leave.

There didn't seem to be any actual chairs in the room, only more cardboard boxes filled with metal scraps. Arthur grabbed the emptiest box he could find and placed it upside down in front of the desk. Alfred was going through the pile of letters.

"A month ago, huh…" he muttered to himself. "Well, it's got to be here somewhere…"

"You don't actually need the letter," Arthur said, sitting down on his makeshift seat. "Now then, Professor Jones—"

"Oh, hey!" Alfred held up an envelope. "This looks kind of professional. Is this it?"

Arthur barely even glanced at it. "No. Professor—"

"Then, what about this one?"

"I don't know. If you really have to, please look for the letter later. We need to get on with the evaluation, and—"

"Oh! This is it! It has to be!" Alfred was holding up a different envelope, this one showing the tell-tale globe symbol of the Scientist Centre. He ripped it open and gave a triumphant smile as he scanned through the letter.

"Congratulations." Arthur's tone was more than a little sarcastic. "Now, _please _sit down_, _Professor." To his utter relief, Alfred complied with the request wordlessly, grabbing a box of his own. "Right. Professor Jones—"

"You know," Alfred interrupted, still smiling, "you don't have to call me 'Professor.' It sounds kind of stuffy to me. Alfred's fine."

Arthur gave him a cold look. "_Professor Jones," _he said, "may we please start the evaluation?" There was a pause, Alfred looking away awkwardly and Arthur wanting to make sure there would be no more interruptions.

"Well then, Professor, your file says you have only had your license for one year. Tell me, is there any chance you have been exposed to Magi-Tech cells for an extended period of time before that?"

"Hmm…" Alfred looked thoughtful. "I don't really think so. This used to be my dad's laboratory, and I've lived here my whole life. You have to actually handle the Magi-Tech cells to get really affected by them, right? I used to have an apprentice license, but I only ever worked with stabilised Magi-Tech stuff back then and dad never really let me help him with any inventions." He shrugged.

"Your father was the scientist who used to own this lab?" Arthur asked, looking up from his clipboard. He had been writing notes as Alfred talked, but that one detail stuck out to him. Working with Magi-Tech cells wasn't exactly a family business. Scientists who had actually managed to start a family would usually try to stop their children from following the same path. It was, after all, essentially a death sentence. You could make the most amazing things with your sanity as the only price. Magi-Tech sickness could only develop and get worse if one continued to work with the cells, but even if you stopped the damage couldn't be undone.

"Yeah, but he's dead now," Alfred said, almost too casually. "He died about five years ago. He kind of… snapped and got himself crushed by a machine. Since I was registered as his apprentice, and he didn't have an assistant or anything, I inherited the lab."

"I see… I'm sorry to hear that." If Arthur had been any other person, he would have been shocked by Alfred's lack of remorse. But he knew. Scientists with high levels of Magi-Tech sickness commonly grew socially withdrawn, even from close family members. Alfred was young, and since it was safe to assume the previous professor was at a much later stage of Magi-Tech sickness, he probably hadn't known his father that well to begin with.

Arthur shook his head. He needed to continue with the interview.

The next few minutes were filled with various yes and no questions. (Do you hear voices, do you ever have hallucination or delusions, have you developed a split personality with no link to childhood trauma, have you ever felt the urge to take over/destroy the world, and do you ever burst into random fits of maniacal laughter. That sort of thing.) At some point, Kiku returned with the coffee. He asked Arthur if he really didn't want anything to drink, but the Brit declined once again.

"Mr Honda said you 'found him'," Arthur said when Kiku left the room again and he could no longer hide his curiosity. "What does that mean?"

Alfred grinned. "It means what it means. I found him while I was wandering around some city. He was all damaged and stuff, so I brought him back here and fixed him up."

"Really…" Arthur didn't want to look impressed, not in front of this absentminded scientist. Androids, mechanical or biological, were not an easy subject. Building one was one thing, but attempting to fix one was something else entirely if you weren't the original creator. You could easily cause even more damage. Kiku, however, was obviously working perfectly.

"Yep! But even though I could replace broken limbs and stuff, the brain was a little trickier. There was lots of stuff in there that was beyond repair, and I couldn't find anything to replace those parts. I didn't really recognise much of it, either. So, I just threw out the broken stuff."

"You just… threw them away…?"

"Yeah. It's a good job Kiku didn't really need any of it, huh? I mean, if Kiku's working now, then that stuff couldn't have been important, right? Then, when that was all done, I rewired some parts of his brain so he'd have more freewill and stuff. I also added an empathy and a morality chip I found lying around."

Arthur only nodded. Alfred obviously had some ability as a scientist.

"Well, the questions are finished," Arthur said, standing. "Now I need to see some of your inventions."

Alfred obviously had no problem with this, and he jumped up and led Arthur out the room. Soon they reached a rather large area, filled with blinking lights and big computers and odd machines and _what was with all the goddam boxes? _

The professor ran to a corner of the room and re-emerged with something that looked distressingly like a bomb. It was the size of a foot/soccer ball but mechanical and had random spikes protruding out. A big red button was on top, and the front held a small computer screen. Alfred held this device forward proudly.

"I suppose this is your doomsday device, then?" Arthur asked, beginning to wonder if this scientist was a little more dangerous than he had thought.

Alfred blinked, shook his head, then pressed the button on top. Before Arthur had time to react the screen slid down, revealing a small cup that was slowly being filled with…

"…Ice-cream," Arthur said flatly.

"Yeah!" Once it was full, Alfred grabbed the cup and handed it to Arthur. "It even comes with a spoon. It was originally something my dad made, I think it was supposed to be a bomb or something, but I just thought, 'What am I gonna need a bomb for?' so I turned it into something everyone could use! I did this with lots of his old inventions."

Arthur stared down at the cup in his hand. The ice-cream was vanilla, he noted, but that was beside the point.

"You turned a bomb into an ice-cream maker?" Arthur stared at him. "Is that even possible?"

Alfred shrugged again. "I don't know. I did it, didn't I?"

…Ah. Arthur was beginning to find this man quite irritating.

* * *

_-Chapter end._

_Hello again! ^0^ A new chapter is here, but updates won't always be weekly ^^' With work from school and my other fanfics, I won't have that much time to update this. But I wanted to write one more chapter before vanishing for a while XD_

_Ah, there's something I forgot to mention in the last chapter. There will be, at some point, a Nyotalia and 2p!Nyotalia character. The main characters are still Arthur, Alfred and Kiku, but this is the only way I can think of to add family and villains ^^'_

_Another thing—in this world, an apprentice licence is something you can apply for at the age of 12. It means you can work under an already licenced scientist :) You're still not permitted to work with Magi-Tech cells, though. You can only work with more stabilised versions to build things, but you can help the scientist you're working for with their own inventions if they need/want assistance XD_

_Well, that's it for now :) Please review and tell me what you think ^0^_


	3. Dramatic Irony is Fun

The lights were off, the door was closed and Arthur leaned back in his chair with an irritated sigh. He was finally, _finally_ finished with the reports. It was currently something-past midnight, and the dimly lit screen before him that he had spent hours filling with words almost seemed to mock Arthur.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Arthur scanned the document with little enthusiasm before saving it. He would be able to give it a proper check in the morning, when the only thing keeping him awake _wasn't _as many caffeine fuelled drink he could find and he could at least pretend he was enjoying his job. After that, he would send it off to his superiors—they would read through the reports and decide how much of a threat these scientists actually were.

_That frog owes me for this, _Arthur thought bitterly. _I honestly don't care _what _that shark was going to do to him. _

Somehow, despite all of the 'colourful' characters he had met earlier, the scientist who irritated him the most was that Professor Jones. He just seemed to be a mix of unprofessional and admittedly intelligent that Arthur really didn't like. Arthur actually felt a little sorry for Kiku.

He had talked to the android after the professor finished showing Arthur his ice-cream machines. The interview wasn't always enough; they often needed to speak with those close to the scientist to get a clearer picture of their mentality.

"Tell me," Arthur said to Kiku, "how long have you known the professor?"

"Ah… About four years?"

"I see. And the professor has only been working with Magi-Tech for one year, correct?"

"Yes, that's right." Kiku nodded, his seemingly human features showing a rather concerned look.

"Has he been showing any differences in personality or actions since he started?"

Kiku thought about this. "No, I don't think so," he eventually said. "Alfred-san has always been like this."

"Right…" Arthur scribbled Kiku's answer onto his clipboard. "So, he has not started showing any worrying behaviour?"

"No. Well, the modifications are a little strange, but in all honesty he was always doing things like that…"

"…Modifications?"

Wordlessly, Kiku reached for his right hand and started unscrewing it. Underneath was some kind of metal nozzle.

"Sometimes I start up in the morning to find Alfred-san has added a few strange things to me while I was powered down for the night. This produces hot chocolate… or was it whipped cream? A-anyway, I often find things like this. I do wish he'd stop, but…"

Arthur shook his head, trying to stop the events from earlier running through his mind. He was exhausted and really needed to go to bed. He was still in his clothes, but Arthur didn't care. With a grunt, he stood and stumbled away from his chair.

His home was pretty basic. He lived in a flat, or apartment as some people called it, that was only a few floors away from the top. Most would have bought it for the view—there was a large wall-like window in the living room that showed a beautiful scene of the city at night—but the only reason Arthur wanted it was because it was conveniently close to his job. Besides that, there was a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a cupboard in the living room that he hung his coats in. In Arthur's opinion, it was really all he needed.

He sluggishly walked to his room. The welcoming sight of his small but comfy bed could be seen inside. To the right of the door was a wardrobe and a bookcase, and another large window made up the opposite wall. A rocking chair was next to the bed, with an old photo album carelessly thrown on the seat. Arthur ignored almost all of these things, collapsing on his bed the moment he reached it. He couldn't even be bothered to close the curtains.

His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was him hoping work wouldn't be so busy in the morning. If it was, he would have preferred the day not to involve having to talk to so many scientists again. To be fair, Arthur probably would have reacted badly even if most of them _weren't_ on the brink of insanity. They could have all been completely normal. Arthur just didn't like talking to people.

This had started a few years before he left home. He had never been sociable, exactly, but… well, something happened. It was this something that made Arthur decide the best option for everyone, including himself, would be for him to limit his social contact to as few people as possible. He barely even talked to his co-workers. Though it was kind of sad to think about, the closest thing he had to a friend was probably Francis. Their 'friendship' could probably be described as sort of getting along, but mostly trying to rip out each other's throats.

Arthur was quite content with living this life, and he didn't want it to change anytime soon. Some would call it boring, maybe even lonely, but Arthur didn't feel this. He was, of course, perfectly happy.

Some part of Arthur's sleep filled mind lingered on the professor and the android, but he was too far gone to question this or even remember it in the morning. The thought was dismissed as random nonsense. After all, it wasn't like he was ever going to see them again…

* * *

_-Chapter end._

_This one's shorter than the others, sorry ^^' This was mainly to give a bit of background on Arthur and sort of to shift the story along slightly. Hopefully we'll get to the main point of this fanfic soon XD _

_Not many people seem to be reviewing this one much… Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, I'm continuing this either way, but I can't talk to anons :( It's a shame, 'cause they were saying such nice things…_

_I'll say this again—it may take me a while to update next ^^' School's still around, and I'm kind of worrying about it, and I also need to try to plan a little more ahead with this one XD I've noticed I'm usually a 'write by the seat of my pants' kind of person, but I like to have a sort of idea of the next few chapters and plot points, you know? XD_

_Well, please review and tell me what you think ^_^_


	4. Huh?

It was that time of night, a time where anyone still working would be considered insane by casual onlookers. It was probably a good thing, then, that Alfred lived quite a way away from anywhere. With the lab being in a rather secluded area, and him being a pretty unknown scientist, he didn't get many visitors. Not that he didn't like the company or anything—he did. He had just grown rather… used to living with only Kiku.

Back to the main point, there was almost no one to tell him when to stop tinkering with machines and go to sleep. Almost.

"Alfred-san," Kiku said, giving him a rather worried look, "I think you should go to bed now. You've worked enough today."

Alfred barely even glanced at the android. His eyes were trained on the machine in front of him as he twisted in the last few screws. "Ten more minutes," he said.

"That's what you said last time. It has now been half an hour." Kiku stepped towards him and tapped the scientist's shoulder. "You need sleep. Sleeping only two hours a night isn't healthy."

"I know, I know…" Alfred pouted in a way that would anyone realise that this wasn't the first time they had this conversation. "I'm not even tired," he muttered, stepping away from the large metal box. Kiku wasn't even sure what it was—sometimes it honestly seemed like Alfred only put random things together until they did something. Then again, that was how quite a lot of scientists would start out…

He smiled when Alfred finally seemed to have dragged himself away from his work. If he had truly been set on inventing all through the night then Kiku wasn't sure if he could have stopped him. Alfred was stubborn with things like that.

Just as Kiku began following a sulking Alfred, thinking of powering down for the night himself, he beeped. He simply beeped. Alfred turned to him, confused, and Kiku was sure he would be blushing if he could.

"It, ah, appears you have a message," he explained. Maybe putting his backup in Alfred's main computer hadn't been the best idea; he had found himself receiving strange updates and adverts and Alfred's emails ever since.

"Oh, okay." Alfred didn't seem too concerned. "What's it say?"

Kiku opened the message, scanned through the contents and… wait. What?

"O-oh. This is…"

* * *

Arthur's day was going a little better. The amount of scientists he had to visit was significantly lower, and he found himself back at the main office just after midday. If he could just finish their reports before it was time to leave he wouldn't have to work into the night again.

His workplace wasn't as isolated as he would have liked. Though it was a small area, only thin partitions and some occasional plants separated each employee from each other. The computers were also almost enough to give him a headache as the 'screens' were really just blue squares of light made from a projector and from a main computer somewhere in the building. They were touchscreen and definitely more advanced than his computer at home, which still needed a mouse and keyboard.

The screen glowed with the same light of the Magi-Tech, and though the colour was changeable Arthur rather liked it. It reminded him of home, in a way, even if those weren't the best memories. He tapped it with a little more enthusiasm than yesterday and was surprised to find something was waiting for him when the screen changed. A little red notification was sat squarely in the middle. Arthur frowned and squinted, making sure he hadn't misread the warning.

_Caution! One or more sent documents have been deemed invalid. _

…What the hell was _that _supposed to mean? Arthur had never received anything like it before. A link had been placed under the message; he tapped it, his earlier good mood slowly being replaced with unease.

A list showed up on the screen even though there was only one name. Apparently, the one report the system seemed to have a problem with was Alfred's—that annoying scientist from yesterday.

It didn't take long for Arthur to bring up said document and quickly read through it, eyebrows furrowed. No, he couldn't find any mistakes. The information also should have been fine; even if Alfred wasn't exactly a model scientist, he hadn't really done anything wrong. He was still inventing, after all, and he was on a very low Magi-Tech sickness level. There was no problem, as far as he could tell, yet the same message popped up when he tried to send it again.

After a few minutes of uselessly searching for an answer, Arthur sighed in defeat. He didn't like admitting he couldn't do something himself, but maybe a member of the help desk could give him a reason. They were mainly there to answer questions about job opportunities and how to get a licence and so on, but they could sometimes be useful when having computer problems.

He tapped the necessary commands to contact someone from the help desk, and the screen changed to show a smiling dark haired girl of African descent. It was Michelle. Arthur thought back a groan. Though he was under the impression she was perfectly nice, the two of them had never really got along too well.

"Hiya!" she said. "Welcome to—"

"Forget the pleasantries; I know exactly what this is. I wouldn't have called, otherwise."

"Oh, it's you, Arthur." The cheer had dropped slightly from her voice, but somehow she managed to keep a smile. "What's wrong with you, then? You never call here."

"I'm having a problem with a report I'm trying to send," Arthur said with a sigh. "Apparently it's been 'deemed invalid'… I have no idea what that means and I can't find any mistakes."

Michelle made a 'hmm' sound. "Well, what's the scientist's name?"

"Professor Alfred F. Jones, I believe."

"Right, let's just see…" She turned away, presumably to another screen, and started tapping something Arthur couldn't see. After a few moments of silence that made Arthur more and more irritable by the second, Michelle grinned suddenly.

"Oh, that's probably why!" she said suddenly. "It looks that scientist's license has been revoked."

If he had been on a phone Arthur was sure he would have dropped it.

"Wh… what?"

"His license was revoked. You know, taken away."

Arthur stared at the screen, stunned. What the hell? This didn't make any sense. He may have used a few choice words in his report but surely that wouldn't give the higher ups a reason to get rid of his license? He had clearly said how low Alfred was in regards to insanity and how productive he was, even if those inventions hadn't been very useful. Michelle didn't _seem _to be joking, at least.

"When was this?"

"According to this thing, some time last night." She squinted at the other screen and frowned. "Huh, he seems pretty young… Don't these kinds of things usually happen to the older ones?"

Last night… This didn't have anything to do with Arthur's report, then. He hadn't tried to send it until the morning. But still, why had they fired Alfred before even receiving his evaluation? He was a fairly new scientist—what was the point?

"Is that all?" Michelle seemed oblivious to Arthur's confusion.

"Wha—? Oh, yes, that's all." Arthur absentmindedly swiped his hand across the screen, and the image of Michelle was replaced with his computer's familiar blue colour. He didn't move for a few seconds, staring at nothing as he tried to get his mind around what had just happened.

What was going on?

* * *

_-Chapter end._

_This chapter seems almost more serious, something unintentional, I promise 0-0 This is meant to be a comedy fic for now; the dark and confusing stuff isn't supposed to come until later, like with all my fanfics XD Well, maybe we'll be able to revert back to general silliness by the next chapter or so :) _

_I'll try to update this soon-ish. Please review and tell me what you think ^_^_


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